Going Back

This coming Thursday, Ellie and I (Bethany) will fly back to the U.S. for a 10-day visit to Connecticut to see my family. I'm very excited and have been preparing for weeks now...making packing lists, buying new toys for the plane (small ones!), thinking of strategies to keep her entertained, etc. I have even made little gifts for 12 of the people sitting around us on the plane, complete with candy, ear plugs and a sweet note from Ellie (pictured to the left). My hope is to endear them to us before she starts breaking down :) 

I'm excited, first and foremost, to spend quality time with my family and for them to get to see Ellie at this stage. It will be so fun to have all of the cousins together and to go trick-or-treating (ages 9 months to 13 years!). I'm also excited about being there in the fall. Connecticut is beautiful this time of year, and I can't wait to carve pumpkins, eat honey crisps apples, drink apple cider, photograph leaves and explore a corn maze. I will also have the chance to share an update at two supporting churches, which will be a really valuable opportunity to connect people with what God is doing in Austria.

However, there are a few parts of the trip that I'm nervous about. Understandably, I am nervous about flying with Ellie alone and how she will cope with being couped up on a plane for 9 hours. I'm also nervous about how she will handle jetlag and if that will put a damper on my time there. But most of all, I'm nervous and a bit curious about how I will handle being back in my home country after being gone for 2 years. Will it make me even more homesick? Will I notice things about the U.S. that bother me and become judgmental towards my home culture, idealizing our home in Vienna? Will I be overwhelmed with the amount of choices at the grocery store, paralyzed in the cereal or salad dressing aisle? I have no idea what to expect or how I can be preparing myself now for the feelings I will encounter...other than to start thinking and processing it now.

Your prayers for us are appreciated, specifically...

• For a smooth flight experience with Ellie and patient people on the plane
• For a blessed time with family
• For Nate, as he holds down the fort by himself
• For me, as I return to my home culture and process the journey we've been on for the last two years

A Special Family Visit

This morning, I did a heart-wrenching thing: I put my sister on the train to the airport and said goodbye. Saying goodbye to family never gets easier...in fact, I think it's been harder and harder for us as we've had Ellie. As she grows and learns, it is so sad for us to recognize that our family misses out on so many moments with her. We are so thankful to live and do ministry here, but living far from our family is the hardest part about it.

Thankfully, we are still able to have quality time with family when they come to visit. It was really special for me to show my sister around Vienna and to share my life with her. There is something unique about being able to see where and how we live, in order to better understand our ministry here and the blessings and challenges we face each day. Now, when I talk to her on the phone about church, friends, cultural differences or life here, she understands in a new way.

Ellie is old enough now that we were able to get out and see a lot of things with her. She did a great job of taking some naps in the stroller and exploring the city with us! Here are some photos from our time together:

Enjoying beautiful weather at the park

Happy 4th of July!

Exploring the city

Dinner and a movie, just Crista and I

Naschmarkt - open air market

The view from the top of the Vienna Aquarium

At church

Posing with "Mozart" in front of Schönbrunn Palace

The overlook at Kahlenberg

Swimming at an indoor pool

Crista bonds with our dog, Mozzy

Our last dinner together of homemade ravioli

Riding the swings at Prater Park - the highest in the world!

A Legacy of Faith

Gathering for a meal and singing the doxology at the Grand Beach Inn

This past weekend, my Dad's side of the family (the Veermans) all met up in New Buffalo, MI for a weekend family reunion. It was a sweet and special time, where my immediate family plus nearly all of my aunts and uncles, cousins, and cousins' children got together for fun, food and fellowship. The group of 40 laughed, played silly games, cooked, ate, caught up, sang and shared together for four days. It was wonderful!

Family is really special to us, and what amazes me every time we get together is that even though we don't see each other often, we can immediately share intimate life details and openly share our hearts. There is a closeness that comes from shared history, shared family roots, and especially our shared faith.

One special time of the weekend for me was on Sunday morning, when my Uncle Ralph gave a devotional on the importance of passing down faith from generation to generation. My dad and his siblings shared about the faith of my grandparents and the values they instilled in their family, which were then passed down to the next generation. I am who I am today in part because of their faith, love of God, commitment to church and missions, and family values. Their legacy shaped my dad, which in turn shaped how I was raised and who I have become. 

In scripture, God calls us to teach our children and our children's children the ways of God and to remember what the Lord has done. Deuteronomy 4:9 - 10 says, "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

I am so thankful that my grandparents responded to God's instruction and passed on their faith, and I pray that Nate and I will do the same so our family legacy of faith can continue.

How has your family passed faith down to you?
How do you hope to pass your faith along to the next generation?